


The Loser's Happiness

by j520j



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Fluff and Smut, M/M, No Constant, Please AO3 let the William Carter tag be at it's own!, William Carter - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:55:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27776467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j520j/pseuds/j520j
Summary: William Carter knew that he was a failure, but he didn't imagine that he was such a BIG failure. Until he found a kindred spirit in the middle of the forest.Canon-divergence and No-Constant fic.
Relationships: Maxwell/Wilson (Don't Starve)
Comments: 14
Kudos: 62





	1. Chapter 1

He dug a deep hole at the rock bottom.

William Carter was aimlessly walking through the woods in the middle of... where he was? United States, that was all he knew. After the train accident he had lost some sense of time and space. How long had he been wandering around in the wilds? Judging by the head injury, which throbbed and burned, it should have been a long time.

He doesn't quite remember what happened. The train stopped. Abruptly. His body was thrown forward, as were other passengers. The wagon's lights went out on a moonless night. When the sound of the motor engine whistling stopped what was left were the screams and cries of the wounded and the smell of blood and smoke in the air.

He fainted? Perhaps, he didn’t remember. At one point, someone helped him to his feet. He was unable to stand, but someone helped him sit against a tree. The lights from the emergency flashlights showed a wagon fallen off the tracks and several injured people receiving first aid. But they were in the middle of nowhere and help would take time to arrive. Those people needed to go to a hospital.

Cold. There were children there. They needed wood for the fire. William offered to help, although he wasn’t in such good shape. Someone suggested taking a twig and a flint to improvise an axe and the magician was looking for these things in the middle of the forest, in the middle of the night without a torch... and then he slipped down a ravine, rolled over several meters and passed out again.

When he woke up it was already morning. And he had no idea where he was. A forest in the middle of the United States, was all he knew. He saw no sign of smoke from the fires, he saw no sign of civilization nearby. He was alone, injured, cold, hungry and without his luggage.

Yeah, he dug a deep hole at the rock bottom.

"I threw my life away..." he murmured, looking at the forest. "What h-have I done good in my entire l-life?"

That wasn't the most appropriate thinking to have when you are in serious danger, but William couldn’t help it. No man who reaches his forties can avoid this type of thinking. What was he? A street magician? Without money and without his stage props. Indebted. He had to flee the mob in New York and his best plan was to stay at his brother Jack's house on the west coast. And then... what?

Jack did have a life. His younger brother had a wife, a house, a business career and two beautiful twin daughters. He came to the United States when there was still a real chance of achieving the American dream, and he did. William came to the New World… why?

To escape the trenches, perhaps? Thousands of young people jostled at the registers houses to participate in the glorious war, but William was too much of a coward. He left England in late 1914. If it had taken a little longer, as the conflict grew more and more difficult, they wouldn’t have allowed him to leave. Rumors were that, after the Battle of Somme, the casualties had been so severe that they were recruiting children aged twelve and eleven. Even women were being accepted among the soldiers. The despair was great.

William should have stayed. He should have enlisted and died quickly in some trench. He would be more useful as a statistic in counting the dead.

Not that it made much difference now. He was walking in the middle of a forest, completely lost. He didn't even understand how he could still be alive, especially with the head wound, his blood that dyed his ridiculous purple suit in a crimson shade. Apparently, despite his thinness, he was more resistant than he imagined.

If he went to the trenches, would he be one of those soldiers who survived for hours in No Man's Land? Bleeding, suffering, with the guts out... just waiting for a shot, or an infection, to kill him. Not that that forest was very different from a No Man's Land. There was nothing there, no hint of civilization, of human life, of hope, nothing.

Wait.

Was that smoke?

William picked up his pace - his leg was injured too, but he endures - and then, in the middle of the forest, he found something unusual. A house. A house lost in the middle of nothingness.

A flame of hope ignited in his chest and he ran to the door for help. But he stopped three feet in front of it. The story of Hansel and Gretel came to mind: what kind of person would live as a hermit in the middle of nowhere? Was he or she a good person?

A loud noise came from inside the house. An explosion? There were lights coming from the second-floor window. What was that house? What was going on there? Was William just jumping from the frying pan into the fire?

Well, he had no choice. That was it, or go back to the forest and die.

_Knock, knock._

Everything inside the house was deadly silent. The person inside had heard the knocking and certainly shouldn’t be expecting visitors. Whoever lives in such a secluded house never expects visitors, right?

_Knock, knock._

William was feeling his vision cloud. The calm of the situation was making the adrenaline that kept him alive and active until that moment drained out of his pores. If the door didn't open quickly, all the owner of the house would find would be a corpse in the doorway.

The handle turned. There was no sound of a latch being opened. Who would care to lock the door in that place?

A man appeared. He was younger than William, he shouldn't have been more than thirty. He was shorter too (well, everyone was shorter than the magician). He wore a red vest, a stained white shirt, and black gloves. His hair was... strange. It was shaped like a letter 'W'. Who combs their hair like that? Someone who lives isolated in the middle of the forest, certainly.

"Uh... g-good morning..." William started, feeling sick. His face must have been as pale as a ghost. "Sorry to bother you, but... I... I h-had a train accident... can you h-help me?"

The man had an expression of distrust on his face, but as he studied the trespasser from head to toe the expression changed to concern and even a little empathy. He had an object in his left hand that looked like a razor blade, he would probably use it if he felt threatened. Not that William was a threat. Even though he was not injured, he was never a good fighter.

"Who are you, sir?" he asked, hanging his head to the side.

"Ah... C-carter ... William Carter." the magician adjusted his glasses. One of the lenses was cracked. "Sorry again... to b-bother you... but I... t-train accident… I really need..."

"Hey! Are you referring to the railroad that cuts through Kentucky?” the short man pointed in one direction in the middle of the forest. "God, you must have walked more than twenty miles!"

"Uh, maybe..." oh, no. William was going to pass out, he felt like he was going. "I ... I s-slipped down a r-ravine... and I was even f-further away f-from... uh..."

"Sir, are you...?"

This was the last thing William heard before he passed out.


	2. Chapter 2

Wilson didn't really expect a visitor that day.

Well, he didn't expect visitors on any given day.

Since he decided to build his house in the middle of the forest, he knew that the contact he would have with humanity from then on would be minimal. Not that he was complaining, on the contrary. His interactions with other people have never been noteworthy. Anything that crossed the lines of civility and casualness made him ashamed of himself.

Now, he had a man in his house. An unknown man, passed out, injured and bleeding. The guy was tall, which made the scientist afraid the first time he opened the door. But on seeing the man's condition, fear was replaced by pity.

"Hey, sir... h-hey!" he touched his shoulders, trying to revive him. He was still lying on the floor, his pale face turned on his side. “Ah, it's no use! I... well, I suppose I have no choice.”

With a grunt, Wilson lifted the man into his arms. He was surprisingly light for someone so tall, which could be explained by his thinness. The scientist placed him on the sofa, although he soon realized that the piece of furniture was too short to accommodate the stranger's long legs. Well, it would have to do, for now.

The scientist had several first aid items in his home. They were crucial, since the man was always having an accident with his experiments. He wiped the blood off the stranger's face, checked his wound and noticed that the healing process had already started. He should have been in an accident the night before. He cleaned the wound and bandaged it. The tall man also had a wound on his leg. With a quick movement, Wilson tore his trouser leg and started to clean the wound.

 _Oops!_ he thought, moments later. _Will he be mad that I ruined his pants? Well... not that they are in good condition anyway._

As Wilson took care of the wound, he noticed that the man's clothes were already in poor condition before he even had an accident. They were old clothes, a little faded. An elegant purple tuxedo, but it had seen better days. The fabric was worn and almost tearing at several points.

The scientist picked up the pair of glasses from the floor that had fallen from the tall man's face. One of the lenses was broken. A quick inspection indicated that he was farsighted. Wilson could fix the lens, he had supplies at home for that. When he woke up, the stranger could tell if the new lens was suitable for his eye condition.

 _Oh, by the way, he would probably wake up hungry and thirsty._ Fortunately, Wilson had gone to the town two days earlier to fetch supplies and his ice box was well-stocked. He took out some eggs and bacon and remembered that he himself had not had breakfast yet. Going into the kitchen, he prepared the meal and made a juice out of the lemons growing in the backyard behind his house.

He ate his portion first and left his guest's portion (William Carter was the name, wasn't it?) inside the lid-lined frying pan. He would warm it up as soon as he woke up. The urge to go back to his lab and continue his work was great, but he couldn't let an injured man wake up in an unknown room and be even more disoriented. For this reason he decided to pick up some books and read while sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace - since the sofa was occupied.

Fortunately, it didn't take long for the man to wake up.

"Uhhhhh..." he murmured, moving his arms. When he moved his leg, he groaned in pain. “Ugh! Ah... w-where...? ”

"Are you awake, sir?" Wilson grimaced, thinking that the question he had just asked was a little stupid. But he soon spoke again when he saw that the man was trying to lift his body. “Ah, don't get up. You received quite a blow to the head. And by the state of your leg, I am impressed that you were able to walk so much.”

"Oh...!" the man blinked several times until he focused his vision on the scientist. "I was...? Ah, y-yes ... I remember. I f-found this house in the middle of the forest, and... ouch!”

"I, um, imagine that your head is still hurting."

"Yes, a lot!"

“I'll give you a painkiller as soon as you stuff your stomach with something. Wait here, I will bring food.”

The host went into the kitchen, heated the eggs with bacon, and returned with a hot dish along with the lemonade. The tall man was surprised to see food. One could see his mouth watered as soon as he smelled it.

Wilson held out his plate and saw the man eating with such taste and joy that he was almost proud of his meager culinary skills. The plate was empty in minutes. The scientist rubbed his arm, feeling ashamed. Perhaps the portion he offered was too small? He had never received a guest in his home before.

"If you want, I can do more bacon and eggs."

“Uh? No, I... you don't have to. ” the man cleared his throat. "Thank you! I haven't eaten anything since lunch yesterday.”

"I understand. Well, here's the painkiller.” the scientist held out a pill. The tall man put it in his mouth and swallowed it with the help of lemonade. "Did you say your name is William Carter?"

"Yes, that's my name." he nodded. "And you, sir?"

“Higgsbury. Wilson Percival Higgsbury.”

"Ah, thank you very much for saving my life, Mr. Higgsbury!" the tall man said, smiling.

“Uh? Oh, no big deal, really!” the scientist raised his hands defensively. "I ... ah ... anyone would do that in my place."

“I'm afraid not. Not everyone in the world is as a good person as you are, to the point of receiving a complete stranger into your home and still looking after him.” Carter bowed his head in humility. "Thank you."

“Ah, you're welcome. Hmmm, by your accent, you're not from here, I suppose.” Wilson asked out of curiosity, although he thought that maybe he shouldn't have touched on this topic.

“No, I came from England six years ago. I lived in New York until last week, when... well... I had to leave. Money problems, you know? ”

"Uh, sure." Wilson scratched his chin. “And you were on a train, weren't you? There is a train station ten miles from here, in the small town to the south. I can take you there as soon as you recover.”

"Oh, I would be very grateful..." he stammered, changing the expression on his face. The man looked concerned. “Oh, good grief! My luggage! My papers, my clothes, my... my cents! It was all there!”

"You mean, at the place where the accident happened?"

"Yes! I... in the accident, people and luggage were even thrown out of the train! I don't even know if I'll be able to find my stuff again... ugh! My head!"

“Hey, don’t move too much. You had a concussion. Head injuries are often serious.” the scientist said, placing his hands on the man's shoulder to keep him sitting on the couch, but he quickly walked away. Maybe it wasn't a good thing to touch a stranger... well, that's what he had to do before to take care of his injuries, isn't it? "Ideally, you should go to a hospital to do some tests, get an x-ray or something, just to make sure everything is fine."

"I have a very thick head."

"Oh ... well, I can relate to that." he chuckled.

Carter laughed again, the man seemed to have lightened for a few moments. But then he cleared his throat and resumed his most serious speech:

"Well, it's not like I have the money to pay for medical treatment." he said, shrugging his shoulders. “My brother Jack would certainly pay. But I don't have the courage to make him spend money on me. I'm already going to be a freeloader at his home and... ”

The man began to tell the story of his life and this left Wilson a little confused. He could understand that the unexpected visitor needed to answer some questions for the host, but this Mr. Carter started talking about things that didn't need to be said. Wilson was a very private person - the reason he was living in the middle of the forest was because of this - and if it were in his shoes, he would just limit himself to providing basic information about the accident, maybe some information as to where he was going, and that's it.

“... and he always wanted me to live with him. He said he could find me a wife and help me with my career as a magician ... oh, sorry. ” the man put his hand to his mouth. “I'm talking the hind legs off a donkey, aren't I? It’s a bad habit for those who work on stage.”

“Hm? Oh, don't worry.” Wilson smiled. The man was quite a character. And he was apparently harmless. “Well, you need to rest. And this sofa is not suitable. Come, I will take you to my room. ”

"What? Oh, I... I don't want to be a bother…”

"You need to rest." the scientist said, firmly. "The more you rest, the faster you will get well and you will be able to go to... hmmm... did you say you were going to your brother's house?"

"Exact. On the west coast.”

“Okay, well, you're not going to make it if you pass out on the wagon. As I cannot take you to a hospital, there is not much more you can do to improve your condition than a little rest.” he made a gesture with his hand. "Come with me."

Apparently, the Englishman understood that gesture as a 'hold my hand' and so he did it. Wilson was surprised, even a little embarrassed, but tried not to show it. It would be better to really assist him with a helping hand to ensure that he would not fall to the ground. Carter's fingers were long, the veins were very apparent on the back of his hand.

Wilson took him to the bedroom. It was messy, as usual. The scientist removed some clothes and equipment boxes from the mattress. The tall man lay on the bed, which was barely big enough for his body, and for the first time the expression on his face was one of relief.

Wilson smiled. It was unusual for people to show this type of expression in front of him. Most were always afraid, suspicious or with a cruel, silent laugh.

"There." he took a blanket and covered the man's body. “If you feel anything strange, like a ringing in the ear or a pain behind the eyes, come and talk to me. I'm upstairs.”

"Thank you." Carter said, eyes closed and a smile on his face. "Thank you very, very much."

"Uh, you're welcome." the scientist said, blushing with sincere thanks.

Closing the door behind him, Wilson took a long breath and went to his laboratory. It took longer than expected to start work.

 _Weird._ he thought, as he moved his ampoules. _I never worked with anyone at home. Do I think it is better to leave my chemistry experiments for later? They are usually unintentionally loud and I don't want to wake up the poor guy._

Putting the ampoules aside, the scientist decided to observe the terrarium he had built and check the evolution of the exotic plants he was growing. However, although he tried to concentrate on work, taking notes and everything, the strangeness of the situation invaded his thoughts.

There was a man in his house.

And for some reason, Wilson was not as uncomfortable with the fact as he should have been.


	3. Chapter 3

William was totally naked on the stage.

He didn’t know how to explain what had happened. He was sure he had put on his clothes before he started his performance, but for some reason he was now naked in front of the audience. Everyone looking at him with looks of astonishment, contempt and even a little mockery.

"Oh, w-well..." he cleared his throat, trying to act naturally while holding the top hat to his groin. "As you can see I, uh, I d-don't even have sleeves to hide any of my tricks!" he said, giving a nervous laugh.

And that was when he woke up.

The magician blinked several times, trying to understand where he was. The memory of what had happened began to return little by little. He had been involved in a train accident, walked miles looking for help, until he found a house in the middle of the forest. A young American rescued him, gave him food, took care of his wounds and offered his bed for him to rest.

He stretched his arm to the side, trying to find his glasses. _Ah, yes... I think they broke._ William thought, stroking his head. He was no longer in pain, just a slight burning of the wound. His leg was also better. Despite everything, he felt renewed. He hadn't slept so well in weeks.

William left the room and walked towards the living room. It was already dark outside, indicating early evening. A smell of food hung in the air. He was tempted to go into the kitchen and open the pots, but he couldn't do that without his host's permission.

A noise came from upstairs and the magician started up the stairs, slowly. When he reached the top, he realized that he was in a wide space, full of strange machines and a lot of mess.

The lad, (Wilson was his name, right?) was with his back to the stairs. He seemed to be engaged in some experiment while working on a strange mechanism.

"Say, pal." the magician murmured. "Am I disturbing?"

The scientist turned, a little startled. But then he smiled.

“Ah, Mr. Carter! I see that you are already awake.” he removed the dirty gloves he had in his hands. “And woke up at a good time. I’m preparing a stew.”

“Yes, I did smell it. It must be delicious.” the man scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed. "I... I will find a way to pay you all your kindness, Mr. Higgsbury. I promise!"

“Uh? Oh, don't worry about it.” Wilson waved his hands. “And your head? It's better? Are you still in pain?”

"I'm great. Just a little sore, but I'm fine.”

"Good. Oh, by the way, here are your glasses.”

"Oh?!" the magician was surprised to see his glasses as new. The lad must have fixed them while he slept. And the new lenses were suitable for his eyes. "I ... I have no words...! Thank you! You have no idea how expensive it is to make prescription glasses!”

“Oh, don't mention it. I already had material on hand and so it was nothing. Now come on, let's eat.”

The two men went to the kitchen. The pot was bubbling and the stew was almost done. It was a fortunate event that William woke up at that time, otherwise he was almost certain that the scientist would forget the pot on the fire. Soot marks on the wall and ceiling indicated that it wouldn’t be the first time that the American had forgotten food in the stove while taking care of his experiments.

The stew was low on salt and the potatoes had melted, but William was not complaining. There were rare times when he had two hot meals on the same day that last year. In fact, he rarely ate twice a day. New York might be one of the richest cities in the world, but there were still unemployed workers and failed street performers starving there.

After finishing the meal, William insisted on do the dishes and cleaning up the kitchen. What remains of the stew can be kept inside the ice box - what a spectacular invention! Even the milk could be stored in there for days without risking get sour.

"You seem to be well off." the magician commented. In that house lost in the middle of the forest, there was more comfort than he had ever seen in many homes in old Gotham. "I bet you are a renowned scientist!"

"What, me?!" Wilson looked embarrassed. “Oh, not at all! I... well, I helped design the Voxola PR-76 radios. I won some good royals for the invention and, with the money, I decided to build my house here. In a place where I can manage to create my next inventions in peace.”

"Seriously? What are you working on?"

"Uh, well... nothing quite right yet." he chuckled. “I'm good with electronics and chemistry, but what I did was just improve an invention that already existed. The truth is that I want to create something that will really revolutionize the world. Something that has never been thought of before and that will be available to everyone in the world. This is my dream!"

"I'm sure you will make it." William smiled as he dried his hands. A certain melancholy hit him in the chest, forcing him to let out a long breath. "A good person like you certainly deserves success."

The scientist tilted his head to the side, feeling that there was something hidden in that sentence.

"Hmmm, forgive me for asking, Mr. Carter..."

"William." the magician interrupted him. "Call me William."

“Oh, right. William, what do you do?”

"I am a street magician." he turned his face away, as if what he had just said was shameful. “My intention was to be able to do some big shows, for audiences in luxurious theaters, in the same way as Harry Houdini. Unfortunately I didn’t succeed. I am a failure."

"Hey, you talk like you can't try again." the lad pointed, with concern in his voice.

"Well... yes, but sometimes you just get tired of trying." he looked at the ceiling. “I told you that I was going to my brother Jack's, didn't I? The initial idea was for me to try to get a ‘normal’ job.”

"But you're not going to give up your career as a magician, right?"

"I don't know, Mr. Higgsbury..."

"Call me Wilson, please."

"Right. Wilson. Well, I already thought about it a lot. I've always been told that I have talent for the stage, but things have been getting harder than I expected. With the Great War, many sought comfort in the theater and circus, but not all artists achieved a good audience. Maybe... the dream of being a magician was just a silly dream.”

"Hey, don't give up!" the scientist spoke with such certainty that William's eyes widened in surprise. “You can't give up on your dreams like that! It may not have worked so far, but you need to keep trying!”

William was speechless for a few moments and then smiled.

"Thanks. Not many people encourage a poor bloke to continue his artistic career. My parents, for example, hated that. They threatened to disinherit me if I didn't stop and get a real job.”

"Heh, it's not that different from me."

"What? But being a scientist is a respectable profession.”

"Not for my parents!" Wilson said bitterly. “They are... how can I explain? They are very religious people, you know? They hate science, they hate everything new. They say that radio broadcasts 'voices of demons', that Darwin's theory of evolution is 'heresy' and that even advances in the medical field are 'against the laws of life that God has determined'. Humpf! In short, they hate science and hate that I pursue this career. Therefore… they hate _me_.”

"Ah… I see, I'm sorry." William smiled and reached for the lad's shoulder, giving him a sympathetic pat. He can feel that Wilson got a little skittish when there was physical contact. With a guilty look, the magician withdrew his hand. “Uh, well… at least you seem to be getting along. Your home is very well equipped and your ice box is well stocked.”

"It's not just about the money." the scientist insisted. “And even if it were, I can't depend on radio Voxola's royals forever. By my calculations, my patent will expire in eight years. I need to create something else in the meantime.”

"It seems like enough time for you to be able to create something new and extraordinary."

"Oh! Thank you." Wilson smiled, embarrassed. "I hope so."

William couldn't understand why that brilliant scientist seemed so unsure. He had a very well equipped house and eight years of guaranteed income ahead. He was young and seemed to have a lot of potential. _Say, pal! I wanted to be in your place, have all that luxury and that money to pay for the next years of my life while I calmly prepare myself for my next successful moment!_ he wanted to say, but restrained himself. It would be too rude.

"Well, I think... it's time for me to go." the magician sighed. He needed to face his sad reality. “Can you show me the way to the nearest train station? And if I don't ask for too much, could you lend me money to take the train to the west coast?”

"Wait. Are you going out now, at night?” Wilson raised an eyebrow. "It's dangerous. There are animals in the forest. Stay here and, at dawn, I'll take you to the station.”

“I don't want to take advantage of your kindness any more. You have already done too much for me.”

"Oh... n-no, I didn't…!" the scientist blushed and the magician couldn't help but find that... cute! “Seriously… I’ve lived here alone for so long that I confess it’s good to have a little company… uh… well, a-although I’d rather work alone so as not to be disturbed, or interrupted, or judged..."

William was beginning to understand that strange little man a little more. He was the type who had a brilliant head, but who barely had the courage to talk to strangers. A pure and naive heart, the kind that would be devoured if it went to a big city, full of malicious people, like London or New York. That was why he preferred to stay hidden in the middle of the forest. It was certainly safer to be surrounded by four-legged wolves than two-legged wolves.

This reminded William of himself when he started his career. He had to learn the street smarts alone, while being deceived by bad people. A difficult life that he wouldn’t wish for anyone.

"Thank you." the magician said at last. “But I will not be taking your bed. I can sleep on the couch. In fact, I've slept so well all day that I'm sleepless, anyway.”

"Oh well. So, be my guest, please. I will go to sleep.”

"Right. Thanks."

And the scientist retired to the bathroom to take a shower and get ready for bed. William stood in the living room, looking at the books on the shelves. Most of them were scientific books. There were few about literature, several editions of Julio Verne and some pulp magazines.

He fished an edition of Amazing Stories that specialized in Sci-Fi tales. This genre was never William's cup of tea - he preferred fantasy and horror stories - but beggars couldn’t choose.

As he flipped through the magazine, he was surprised to notice several notes made on the pages. They had been made by his host, where he had underlined certain paragraphs in the stories. In the footnote, he wrote things like _"is it possible to create a machine like this using oil resources?"_ and others like _“this is plausible, though unlikely. Human muscles couldn't generate enough energy to power this portable machine.”_

William laughed. Mr. Higgsbury was a very determined man when it came to science. To the point of even over-analyzing fictional machines created for those cheap tales.

It again reminded him a little of old William from before, when he was still trying to do his shows in London. When he had equal determination, going from show to show, learning new tricks from renowned magicians and always following his achievements in newspapers and magazines.

The magician sighed. Bitter nostalgia, as well as a little envy, welled up in his chest.


	4. Chapter 4

The trip to the town was slow - and a little dangerous. Wilson didn't have a car, but he had built a contraption that resembled an automotive vehicle. William seemed very nervous the whole trip.

"Don’t worry. I can guarantee you that this machine is one hundred percent safe!”

"Uh, r-right..." he swallowed. "Sorry, I'm still traumatized by the train accident!"

When the two arrived, the scientist went to the police to get more information about the accident. "Didn't you read the newspaper?" that's what the police officer asked, after showing him a copy of the local newspaper.

_TRAGIC TRAIN CRASH_

_Circus wagon struck at crossing_

_Many passenger injuries reported_

_Elephant unharmed_

_A passenger train struck a circus wagon that had broken down along the tracks at the Old Mill crossing. Dozens of passengers were injured, and at least one man is missing. The missing man has yet to be identified, but fellow passengers described him as a tall, nervous fellow with an English accent. A search party was convened but quickly abandoned when it became apparent that a cage full of potentially dangerous trained monkeys had been vacated in the collision. Given the remoteness of the crash site, and the escaped animals, the missing man has been presumed dead._

_This is the third such incident at the crossing since the railway's construction in 1873, but the first to involve a circus wagon. Local businessman and railway investor Harold J. Rutherford assured this publication that all pertinent safety precautions had been taken, but no one could have foreseen the appearance of such a dangerous blockage on the tracks._

"No!" William despaired when he read the newspaper. “If my brother Jack read this, he must have assumed it was me! He must think I'm dead!”

"What is your name, sir?" asked the guard.

“William Carter! _I am_ the ‘tall, nervous fellow with an English accent’ described here!”

"Hmmm, the description seems to match." the man looked Carter up and down with a mocking expression.

"Damn, I need to get to the east coast as soon as possible! My brother must be worried sick!"

"Impossible. The trains are stopped. After the accident, the company started combing the region to make sure that all the tracks are in good condition. Nobody leaves Kentucky until next Friday. ”

"Ugh!" the magician rubbed his face. "No one?! Not even the courier service?! ”

"Well, this one I think must be making use of the roads."

"Great! Wilson, please. ” he took the scientist's arm. “Let's go to the post office! I need to write a letter to my brother Jack! Since I can't get out of here yet, then I want to at least give him the news that I'm alive.”

"Sure." the scientist blushed when the magician touched his arm. He wasn’t yet used to this type of interaction. "Let's go to the post office."

"A moment, fellas." the cop placed himself between the two. “Mr. Carter, you're an Englishman, aren't you? Where's your passport?”

"Well, I... I lost it in the train accident."

"So I'm afraid I can't let you roam around in American territory without it."

"Wait!" Wilson interrupted him. "Sir, I can assure you that my friend is here one hundred percent legally and he just needs time to retrieve his documents!"

“Oh? And can you guarantee me that? ”

"Sure! Look in my left vest pocket!”

Raising an eyebrow, the cop reached into Wilson's pocket and pulled out a twenty-dollar bill. The equivalent of a week and a half of work.

"Okay, okay, you convinced me." the officer put the money in his pocket. "Now, get out of here!"

The two men moved away from the police station and the magician looked disappointed. As a signal for him not to worry, the scientist patted his shoulder, encouragingly.

It didn't take long before they found the post office. William wrote a postcard succinctly:

_Jack_

_Please discount all reports of my demise, should they reach you. I am very much alive, despite my recent misadventures. I have met a friend and I’m fine right now. Pity, I lost my papers, but I shan't say more through post - I fear it may attract unwanted attention. All will be explained when we meet._

_William_

“There. I hope this postcard arrives soon. I already caused too much worry for my brother. ” he looked sideways at Wilson. "And I have already caused too much loss to my friends."

“Hey, don't say that. It's all right." the scientist insisted, smiling. “It’s a pleasure to help you. And while you still have to stay here in the region, please consider my home your home. And when you go to your brother's house, and you want to come back to Kentucky, know that my house will always be at your disposal. ”

Carter's expression was a mixture of gratitude and sadness. He certainly shouldn’t be used to receiving such kind treatment from anyone other than someone in his family. Heck, from the stories the magician told, maybe not even his family in England treated him so well.

Suddenly, William wrapped his long arms around the scientist.

"Uh?!?"

"Thank you ..." the magician murmured, in a shaky voice. "Thank you for helping me. Thank you very much! ”

Not knowing what to do with his hands, Wilson, who was red to the ear, just patted the Englishman's broad back lightly. When the two parted, Wilson looked to the side to try to dispel the blush on his face.

"Ah ... n-no problem... seriously! No... no p-problem at all...!”

"Hmmm." Carter looked behind the scientist's shoulder. "One moment, I think I have already figured out a way to start paying for my stay."

"Uh, what?!"

Before Wilson knew it, the magician started walking towards a crowd in the street. In the center of the group was a man standing, using a long box to accommodate three cups. He moved the cups quickly before people's eyes.

"Very good, very good!" he gestured towards the objects. "Now tell me where the ball is!"

"On here?" a boy took a guess.

"We’ll see!" the man raised his glass. “Wrong! The ball was here!” and lifted the right cup.

Wilson knew that scam game. When he was young and naive, he even spent money on it, but it was just an ingenious sleight of hand. You would never guess where the ball was and would always loss the bet.

"Let me try!" William asked, and the scientist almost ran to him to stop him from doing so. "I don't have much, just a few coins in my pocket."

"Ooooh, no problem, dude!" the deceiver accepted the coins. It must be the only money the magician managed to save from the train accident. "Here! If you get it right, you get double the value!”

And there went the man to move the cups quickly. It was almost impossible to follow his movements.

"Which cup is the ball in?"

"In this?" William pointed.

"Wow, you got it right!" the man raised the cup and there was the ball. "Congratulations! And since you bet fifty cents, now you get a whole dollar! However, how about betting again to get you out of here with two dollars?”

"Tempting!" the magician smiled. "Let’s do it!"

 _No, no, William!_ Wilson wanted to get him out of that mess, but he didn't know how he would do it. _That guy just let you win the first time to serve as bait! You will lose your money!_

"Where's the ball?"

"Here."

"Oh, you got it right." the deceiver seemed slightly surprised and less happy. “Now you have two dollars. But, tell me... how about we bet again? You can get out of here with four dollars! Better yet, I raise the bet by five dollars!”

"Very well, go to it!"

The man started moving the cups again, this time even faster. It was amazing how he managed to make that movement fluidly.

"And then?" he gave him a sardonic laugh. "Where's the ball?"

William didn’t answer. He just reached out to the man and grabbed his right wrist, just below the coat sleeve, pressing the area with his fingers.

"Here!"

The guy paled. The people around were confused.

“Errr, no, man! The ball is under one of the cups!”

"Oh, it's true!" the Englishman withdrew his hand. “Of course it’s under one of the cups, silly me! Any of these! ” he tapped the top of one of the cups twice, harder than he should have. "It's under this one!"

He could see the angry expression on the deceiver's face, but he soon changed his expression. Really, the ball was under that cup.

"You’re such a smart ass..." he said, biting his lip. “Here, your five dollars! Now, make room for others to try!”

"Sure, pal!"

Triumphant, William returned to Wilson, displaying the five-dollar bill.

"How did you do it?!" the scientist was delighted.

“An old magic trick. The guy keeps the ball in the cups in the first round and maybe in the second, if he underestimates the bettor. But in the third, which is worth more money, he discreetly pushes the ball into his sleeve and leaves the three cups empty.”

"But how did that second ball appear in the cup, then?"

“If somebody challenges him to raise all three cups, to make sure he was playing clean, he has a ball hidden in the bottom of each glass, which falls when you hit the top hard. That's what I did!" William laughed. “And it’s obvious that he realized that I knew the trick! He let me go, without asking any more questions, and without letting me bet again! Anyway, here. Take it. "

"What? No, William! ” Wilson walked away from the money bill. "You don't have to pay me anything, you’re my guest!"

"Please accept it." the magician insisted. "I know I’m still a long way from paying the twenty dollars you lost to the police, and everything else you've ever spent on me, but at least I want you to receive this as gratitude."

"Oh, fine." grudgingly, the scientist accepted the money bill. However, when looking to the side, he soon thought of a way to spend it. "I already know! How about we two go to lunch there? Complete meal for only twenty-five cents!mCome, my treat!”

"Wilson..." the magician shook his head and smiled. "Okay!"

Smiling, the two men went to the restaurant and had a great lunch together.


	5. Chapter 5

The two men returned home, again on that strange machine that Wilson had the nerve to call 'automobile', and they were surprised by visitors.

William's heart stopped for two seconds. He had bad experiences with people waiting for him at the door.

"Doctor Wagstaff!" the younger man smiled broadly. “And Madam Wheeler! What a pleasure to receive you both!”

"Hello, Dr. Higgsbury." a tall woman, of strong build, but apparently fragile under that aviator jacket, held out her hand. “It's been a while, hasn't it? Who is your friend?"

"Ah, this is William Carter." the scientist introduced Englishman with enthusiasm. "William, this is the intrepid Madam Wheeler and this is the brilliant Dr. Wagstaff!"

"Haha, not that brilliant, I'm afraid!" a disheveled man, wearing bottle-bottomed glasses and a white mustache, held out his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter. Are you also a scientist?”

"No, I am..." the tall man paused. He felt diminished in the company of those people. "... I'm a performer."

The two visitors were speechless for a second or two, made no comment and merely smiled.

"Please come in!" Wilson insisted. “I’m sure you have made a long and tiring journey! In fact, you should have called me, I would have prepared for your coming.”

"Ah, you know how turbulent my schedule is." said the woman, laughing. "And it’s very difficult to convince this pops to come out of the lab!"

"Only for very important things, like visiting my best pupil, Wilson!"

Soon, the three went up to the attic, where the laboratory was. William was invited to go up too, but he preferred to stay on the ground floor. While resting on the couch he could hear the woman's loud voice and the old man's laughter. The three seemed to be very much happy. They only got off there when it started to get dark.

"... so, it's agreed!" Wheller took long strides, almost skipping two steps at a time, as she descended. “We’ll have a metal detector on my machine! And also a new alternating rotation propeller!”

“Yes, I think I can provide until next week. Dr. Waggstaff?”

“I already told you to call me Robert, Wilson! Hehehe, and yes, I will provide the base material. And will you help me with my improvement of my new Voxola SR-2006? I need to redesign the valves to be able to put a new device to improve the quality of the signal.”

"Sure! Consider it done!"

The two visitors passed William and almost forgot to say goodbye.

"Oh, it was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Carter." said the explorer, giving a polite handshake.

"Me too. Until next time." said the older scientist, smiling politely.

"Likewise." the magician said, nodding.

The two left and Wilson looked happy. It took him a few seconds to him to noticed that William had a desolate expression.

"Uh? What’s up? Are you okay?"

"Yes, of course, pal." he lied. At least he knew how to do it right.

“Well, I need to work. My old teacher, and his client, ordered some machines. Please don't wait for me for dinner, will you? Feel free! I'm going to spend the night in the attic.”

"Yes, of course."

Wilson ran up the steps, like a child heading towards a carnival. And the magician was left alone in the room, feeling more unsuccessful than ever.

..................................................

It wasn’t until the next day, when Wilson's bladder was screaming for mercy, that the scientist finally left his laboratory.

The day was overcast, so he had lost track of time. It was only after he sat on the couch for a minute that he realized how tired he was.

“Say, pal. You don't look so good.”

"Ah, Will." the short man was so tired that he didn't even have the strength to be embarrassed by the short and affectionate way in which he addressed the magician. “Sorry, I am a terrible host. How are you?"

"I’m fine." the man gave a short smile. "Listen... if it's not abuse on my part... oh, of course it is." he took a long breath. “Could you lend me a few cents? I was thinking of going to the city tonight.”

"Are you leaving?!" for an instant, all of Wilson's tiredness was gone from his body.

“No, I still can't go. The railway lines must still be in trouble. But... well, I know I have no right to complain, but I'm a little bored. I thought about going out and going to a pub or something.”

"Ah, of course." the scientist nodded. "Sorry, it's just that I'm in the middle of a job and I can't go with you..."

“Don't even think about it, pal. You have already done too much for me to be concerned about taking care of an unemployed person taking advantage of your hospitality.”

“Nonsense! I already told you that you can stay at my house as long as you need. Oh, and by the way.” Wilson took a jug of flowers, with dead flowers inside, and overturned its contents. “I always keep a few dollars here in this jar. It's the milkman's money... when he shows up! If you need, you can take it anytime.”

The scientist placed in William's hand three dollars and a quarter. It was more than enough for him to have a few beers at a bar.

"Do you want a lift to the city?" Wilson asked.

“Nah, I can walk. I already know the way and it’s not that far.”

“Even so, be careful. There are animals in the forest.”

“I know, pal. And thank you very much.”

The Englishman's smile was embarrassed. The scientist thought about saying something to make him feel more confident, but William was already out the door. Wilson smiled, pleased to see that his guest would be able to distract himself a little from the boredom he gets in that house.

Boredom... Wilson was a very boring person, wasn't he?

Suddenly, the scientist felt very sad. And lonely.

....................................

The town didn't even have a tenth of the entertainment options that New York, or even a medium-sized city, had. But it was fine enough to William.

If there was something about his physique that drew people's attention in a positive way, it was his height. From the back, the magician looked quite impressive, with his broad shoulders and long, elegant limbs. But the good impression was ruined when people looked at his face. The Englishman was not, even in a long shot, handsome. Well, maybe his chiselled chin caught the eye, as many movie stars had one and they were beginning to cement this feature as attractive to a man.

Even so, some people were attracted to the shy, but relaxed way he exuded after taking a few shots. His British accent was also considered sensual by some people. Although tall, William appeared to be harmless, which increased people's confidence in him. The glasses helped in this regard.

“Ooooh, so you're English! This is so chic!” a girl with short hair and a scandalously short dress (by the 1920’s standards) was talking to the magician. “And a performer! This is so cool! I love artists!”

"For real? Hehe, my parents always thought that artists were the worst.”

“Our parents are idiots! They don't know that art, cinema, literature, music... all these things are what beautify life! After all, it’s so short, isn’t it?”

"True. And, I must say, that I went through a traumatic experience in that sense. A close call.”

"Wow, you don't look like someone walking the razor's edge, if I may say so."

"Well..." William bottom up the glass and gave his best smile. He noticed how the girl's gaze dropped to his lips. "... there are many things about me that you wouldn’t believe."

"Hmmm, I would like to know what they are!" the girl's foot brushed William's shin.

Aaaaaaand... score! It wasn't that difficult, was it? Flappers loved adventures, especially when they met someone outside the standards they were used to. A gentle, harmless-faced British artist, but with a tragic-pulp-fiction story? Sold!

With men, it used to be even easier. Every city had an area for ‘inverts’ to meet and the police simply didn’t see the need to disturb adult people having fun consensually. In this case, the law only applied when some authority wanted to harm someone specifically. Similar to the stupid Prohibition on Alcoholic Drinks in January 1920. The police only acted when the establishments didn’t pay the bribe on time.

"You look like you swam across the ocean, doll." a young, blond boy, though somewhat grimy, approached William.

"And I still had to cross a forest on foot after that." the Englishman chuckled. “I confess that it really made me tired. Could you give me a ‘hand’?”

“Sure, luv! Let’s go to the alley.”

Score two. With that, William would be able to call the night. Or, perhaps, he should wait until dawn to ensure that his walk back to Wilson's house would be safe.

_Wilson..._

The magician can't help thinking about the young scientist while that unknown man gave him a handjob behind the bar. He closed his eyes and bit his lip, preventing any name from escaping his mouth while he was with the blond boy. He wouldn’t be polite.

It was with the sun shining on the horizon that William returned home. And, to his surprise, the scientist was waiting for him in the living room.

"Wilson?!" he was so surprised that his tiredness was gone for a few seconds from his body.

"I... I was worried!" said the younger man. The impression the magician had was that he didn’t leave his spot in the sofa all night.

“Oh, you don't have to worry about me, pal. I know it's hard to belive, after the train crash and stuff, but I know how to take care of myself.”

"Yeah, I guess so..." there was something in the younger man's voice, some kind of reprimand, that William couldn't put his finger on.

"Well, I think I'm going to need to use the bathtub." the magician scratched his neck. "I don't even have to use the hot water, it can be cold."

"Hm." Wilson nodded. "Use hot water, don't go catching a cold."

"Oh, fine."

And William headed for the bathroom, hoping not to sleep in the tub from his tiredness. But the truth is, the magician was very alert. A strange feeling of guilt prevented him from relaxing throughout the bath.


End file.
